Vehicle underfloor structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle underfloor structure, comprising: a battery, which is arranged under the floor of the vehicle and has one or more connectors protruding from the front end; a suspension member, which is arranged at the front of the vehicle compared to the battery and whose lower end is located above the lower end of the battery; and a protective member, which covers the one or more connectors from the bottom to protect them and is installed between the battery and the suspension member.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 201910778851.1, application date August 22, 2019, and invention name “Vehicle Underfloor Structure”. Technical Field

[0002] This specification discloses a vehicle underfloor structure in which a battery and a suspension member are arranged under the floor of the vehicle. Background Art

[0003] A vehicle having a battery disposed under the floor of the vehicle is well known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for disposing a battery under the floor of a vehicle. In Patent Document 1, a plurality of connectors protrude from the front end of the battery.

[0004] Prior Art Literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2014 / 045754

[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, since no components are provided directly below the plurality of connectors, the connector terminals are exposed toward the road surface. Therefore, during the driving of the vehicle, objects falling on the road surface (hereinafter referred to as "roadfall") or flying stones may interfere with the connectors, thereby causing degradation or damage to the connectors.

[0008] Here, if there is a transverse member extending in the vehicle width direction in front of the battery and below the connector, when the vehicle moves forward, objects falling on the road will hit the transverse member before hitting the connector. Therefore, if there is such a transverse member, interference between the connector and objects falling on the road can be prevented to some extent. However, the transverse member located in front of the battery is often provided above the lower end of the connector. Therefore, in the existing vehicle, the connector protruding from the front end of the battery cannot be properly protected. Summary of the invention

[0009] Therefore, this specification discloses a vehicle underfloor structure capable of appropriately protecting a connector protruding from a front end of a battery.

[0010] The vehicle underfloor structure disclosed in this specification is characterized in that it comprises: a battery, which is arranged under the floor of the vehicle and has one or more connectors protruding from the front end; a suspension member, which is arranged in front of the vehicle compared to the battery and has a lower end located above the lower end of the battery; and a protective member, which covers the one or more connectors from the bottom to protect them and is installed between the battery and the suspension member.

[0011] By adopting the above structure, when the vehicle moves forward, objects falling on the road will hit the protective member before hitting the connector. As a result, the connector can be effectively prevented from colliding with the objects falling on the road, and the connector can be appropriately protected.

[0012] Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which a mounting rod is further provided, the mounting rod being mounted on a lower portion of the suspension member and extending the protector in the vehicle width direction.

[0013] By setting the structure involved, most of the objects falling on the road will collide with the mounting rod before colliding with the protective member. In other words, the collision between the protective member and the objects falling on the road can be reduced, thereby suppressing the deformation or degradation of the protective member. In addition, by providing the mounting rod, the front end height of the protective member can be reduced. As a result, the inclination angle of the protective member can be made close to the horizontal. Moreover, even if the protective member collides with the objects falling on the road, the collision angle can be reduced, thereby more effectively preventing the deformation or damage of the protective member.

[0014] In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the lower end of the mounting rod is located below the lower ends of the one or more connectors and above the lower ends of the batteries.

[0015] By setting the lower end of the mounting rod lower than the lower end of the connector, it is possible to effectively prevent objects falling on the road from hitting the protector or the connector. In addition, by setting the lower end of the mounting rod higher than the lower end of the battery, the mounting rod will not be too low, thereby reducing the interference of the mounting rod with the road surface.

[0016] In addition, the following method can also be adopted, that is, a rear cross portion with an arch shape is provided at the rear part of the suspension member, the rear cross portion extends in the vehicle width direction, and the central part in the vehicle width direction protrudes upward, and the mounting rod is mounted on the rear cross portion in a manner spanning both ends of the arch shape.

[0017] With such a structure, the force received by the mounting rod from the fallen object on the road can be absorbed by the rear cross portion of the suspension member having high rigidity.

[0018] According to the vehicle underfloor structure disclosed in this specification, the connector protruding from the front end of the battery can be appropriately protected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A top view of the battery area.

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The view in the A direction.

[0021] Figure 3 A three-dimensional diagram of a protective member.

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 An enlarged view of part D of FIG.

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 1 BB cross-sectional view.

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 1 CC cross-sectional view.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a portion of the mounting rod as viewed from below.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a schematic side view of the vicinity of the battery and the rear cross section without the protective member and the mounting rod.

[0027] Fig. 9 It is a schematic side view of the battery and the vicinity of the rear cross section with the protective member and without the mounting rod.

[0028] Fig.10 It is a schematic side view of the battery and the vicinity of the rear cross section with a protective member and a mounting bar.

[0029] Fig.11 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the area around the coupling hole under normal circumstances.

[0030] Fig.12 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the area around the joint hole during a frontal collision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, the vehicle underfloor structure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 It is a top view of the battery 10 and its surroundings. Figure 2 for Figure 1 In addition, in each of the drawings, "Fr", "Up", and "W" represent the front of the vehicle, the top, and the width direction of the vehicle, respectively.

[0032] The vehicle is an electric vehicle having at least a motor as a power source, for example, an electric vehicle that runs only on the power of the motor, or a hybrid vehicle that runs on the power of both the motor and the engine. A battery 10 that sends or receives power to or from the motor for running is arranged below the floor panel of the vehicle. The battery 10 is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged, and is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The battery 10 has a metal battery case 17. Inside the battery case 17, a battery module formed by connecting a plurality of battery elements (single cells) in series or in parallel is housed. In this example, the battery case 17 is a roughly rectangular shape that is long and flat in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0033] A connector 18 is installed on the front surface of the battery housing 17, and the connector 18 is used to relay the battery module and the external device. For example, a signal line, a power line, and a refrigerant pipe are connected to the connector 18. The number of the connectors 18 can be appropriately changed as needed, and can be one or more than two. In the accompanying drawings, an example in which three connectors 18 are provided on the front surface of a battery housing 17 is illustrated.

[0034] A suspension member 12 is provided in front of the vehicle of the battery 10. The suspension member 12 is a frame member that supports the suspension. The suspension member 12 of this example is substantially in the shape of a square, including a front cross section 20 and a rear cross section 22 extending in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of side sections 24 connecting both ends of the front cross section 20 and the rear cross section 22.

[0035] from Figure 2 It can be clearly seen that the front cross section 20 is an inverted arcuate shape with the center thereof bulging downward in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the rear cross section 22 is an arcuate shape with the center thereof bulging upward in the vehicle width direction. The lower end of the suspension member 12 is higher than the lower end of the battery 10. In addition, the lower end of a part of the connector 18 is lower than the lower end of the rear cross section 22 at the same position in the vehicle width direction.

[0036] A protection member 14 is provided between the suspension member 12 and the battery 10 . Figure 3 is a three-dimensional diagram of the protective member 14, Figure 4 for Figure 3 The enlarged view of the D part. Figure 4 In the figure, dotted shadows are marked on the protective member 14 to facilitate understanding of the through hole portion.

[0037] The protective member 14 is a member that protects the connector 18 from interference from the road surface or flying stones by covering the connector 18 from the bottom. The protective member 14 is a plate that is long in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle and is formed by, for example, stamping. The protective member 14 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 28 and recesses 26 that protrude or collapse in the thickness direction. Both the protrusions 28 and recesses 26 extend in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. In addition, the protrusions 28 and recesses 26 are arranged alternately. Figure 3 It is clear that the widths of the convex portion 28 and the concave portion 26 are not constant, and the width of the convex portion 28 becomes slightly narrower toward the rear of the vehicle. In addition, the width of the concave portion 26 becomes significantly wider toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0038] The front portion of the protector 14 is coupled to the rear cross portion 22 of the suspension member 12 via the mounting rod 16 described below. For this coupling, a coupling hole 30 through which a coupling bolt 42, which is a coupling member, is inserted is formed near the front end of the protector 14. The diameter of the coupling hole 30 is larger than the diameter of the external thread portion of the coupling bolt 42 and smaller than the diameter of the head of the coupling bolt 42. The protector 14 is coupled to the mounting rod 16 by screwing the coupling bolt 42 inserted into the coupling hole 30 to a weld nut 43 fixed to the mounting rod 16. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the combination, and Figure 1 BB cross-sectional view.

[0039] A cutout portion 32 is also formed on the protective member 14. The cutout portion 32 is located behind the coupling hole 30 and is partially connected to the coupling hole 30 (see FIG. Figure 4 ). The cutout portion 32 is sufficiently wider than the diameter of the head of the connecting bolt 42. By providing the cutout portion 32, the connection between the protector 14 and the mounting rod 16 and the connection between the protector 14 and the suspension member 12 can be easily released in the event of a frontal collision, which will be described below.

[0040] Here, if Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the formation part of the cutout portion 32 is recessed into a roughly V-shape. That is, a recess 34 is formed on the protective member 14, and the recess is formed by connecting a front inclined surface 36 that descends at the rear and a rear inclined surface 38 that rises at the rear, in the front and rear directions of the vehicle. A part of the cutout portion 32 spans the front inclined surface 36. The rear inclined surface 38 is a plane without a cutout or a hole. As described in detail below, it can be said that the rear end (i.e., the upper end) of the rear inclined surface 38 is higher than the lower end of the connecting bolt 42, and the rear inclined surface 38 and the head of the connecting bolt 42 are opposite to each other in the front and rear directions of the vehicle.

[0041] In addition, if Figure 3 , Figure 5It can be clearly seen that the coupling hole 30, the cutout portion 32, and the recess 34 are all formed on the convex portion 28. Figure 5 As shown, the protrusion amount of the convex portion 28 from the concave portion 26 is greater than the thickness of the head of the connecting bolt 42. In other words, at the same front-rear direction position as the connecting bolt 42, the lower end of the concave portion 26 is lower than the lower end of the connecting bolt 42. Therefore, both sides of the connecting bolt 42 in the vehicle width direction are inevitably surrounded by the vertical wall 40 from the convex portion 28 toward the concave portion 26. In addition, as a result, it is difficult for other components to hit the connecting bolt 42, so that the connecting bolt 42 can be effectively prevented from being damaged or loosened.

[0042] The rear portion of the protective member 14 is mounted on the bottom surface of the battery 10 directly or indirectly via a battery frame (not shown) mounted on the bottom surface of the battery 10. The protective member 14 may be mounted on the battery 10 by bolts or rivets or by welding. In either case, by mounting the rear portion of the protective member 14 on the bottom surface of the battery 10, the connector 18 protruding from the front surface of the battery 10 can be covered from the bottom by the protective member 14. In addition, the connector 18 can be protected from interference from the road surface or the influence of flying stones.

[0043] In this example, the connector 18 is arranged so as to be located above the recess 26 of the protector 14. Figure 6 to explain. Figure 6 for Figure 1 The schematic cross-sectional view on the CC line of FIG. Figure 6 It can be clearly seen that the connector 18 is located above the concave portion 26. By adopting the above structure, the distance between the connector 18 and the protective member 14 can be sufficiently ensured, and interference between the connector 18 and the protective member 14 can be prevented. In addition, in this case, the protective member 14 can be arranged above, compared with the case where the connector 18 is arranged above the convex portion 28. As a result, the interference between the protective member 14 and the road surface can also be reduced.

[0044] As described above, the protection member 14 is coupled to the mounting rod 16. The mounting rod 16 is a member mounted at a lower portion of the rear cross portion 22. Figure 7 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the mounting rod 16 as viewed from below. In this example, the mounting rod 16 is a rectangular cylindrical member that is elongated in the vehicle width direction. A through hole 44 that is used for coupling with the protective member 14 is formed on the bottom surface of the mounting rod 16. In addition, a weld nut 43 that is screwed to the coupling bolt 42 is fixed to the back side of the through hole 44 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 5 ).

[0045] A through hole 46 is formed on the end and upper surface of the mounting rod 16 for coupling with the rear cross portion 22. Figure 7 As shown, a larger cutout is formed in the bottom surface portion opposite to the through hole 46 so that a connecting bolt 48 can be inserted from the lower side. An insertion hole for inserting the connecting bolt 48 is formed at a portion corresponding to the rear cross portion 22, and a welding nut 50 screwed with the connecting bolt 48 is fixed to the back side of the insertion hole. However, the mounting method of the mounting rod 16 and the rear cross portion 22 described here is an example, and the two can also be mounted by other methods, such as welding.

[0046] Here, as stated above, and as Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the rear cross portion 22 is in an arcuate shape with the center thereof in the vehicle width direction convex upward. The mounting rod 16 is mounted on the bottom surface of the rear cross portion 22 so as to span both ends of the arcuate shape. Therefore, a certain gap is formed between the upper surface of the mounting rod 16 and the bottom surface of the rear cross portion 22 at the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the mounting rod 16 may also be arranged and sized such that its lower end is located below the lower end of the connector 18 and above the lower end of the battery 10. By adopting the above structure, interference between objects falling on the road (hereinafter referred to as "fallen objects on the road") and the protective member 14 can be more effectively prevented, which will be described below.

[0048] Next, the reason for providing the above-mentioned protector 14 and the mounting rod 16 will be described. Figures 8 to 10 It is a schematic side view of the battery 10 and the vicinity of the rear cross portion 22 . Figure 8 The case without both the protective member 14 and the mounting rod 16 is shown. Fig. 9 The case with only the protection member 14 and without the mounting rod 16 is shown. Fig.10 The embodiment shown has both the protector 14 and the mounting rod 16 .

[0049] There are various objects (road-fallen objects 100) falling on the road surface, and some of the road-fallen objects 100 are relatively large objects. When the lower end of the rear cross portion 22 is higher than the lower end of the connector 18, a part of the road-fallen object 100 may collide with the connector 18. For example, Figure 8As shown, the following situation is considered, that is, the case where the fallen object 100 falls on the road surface, which is lower than the lower end of the rear cross portion 22 but higher than the lower end of the connector 18. In this case, as the vehicle travels, the fallen object 100 will rub the rear cross portion 22, causing it to collide with the connector 18, thereby possibly damaging or deteriorating the connector 18.

[0050] On the other hand, Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , the following case is considered, that is, the protective member 14 is provided between the rear cross portion 22 and the battery 10 to cover the connector 18 from the bottom side for protection. In this case, even with Figure 8 Similarly, there is a fallen object 100 on the road, and the fallen object 100 hits the protection member 14 before hitting the connector 18. Then, since the entire vehicle is lifted up to pass over the fallen object 100 by hitting the protection member 14, the collision between the connector 18 and the fallen object 100 can be prevented.

[0051] However, since the protective member 14 is in the form of a relatively thin plate, it may be deformed or damaged when it collides with the fallen object 100 on the road with a relatively strong force. Fig.10 As shown, a mounting rod 16 is provided between the protection member 14 and the rear cross portion 22. The mounting rod 16 extends across both ends of the arc formed by the rear cross portion 22. In other words, the mounting rod 16 is installed at a position sufficiently lower than the central portion of the rear cross portion 22 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, most of the road-falling objects 100 collide with the mounting rod 16 before colliding with the protection member 14 as the vehicle moves. When the road-falling object 100 collides with the mounting rod 16, the vehicle tilts up in a manner to pass over the road-falling object 100. As a result, the contact between the road-falling object 100 and the protection member 14 becomes smaller, so that deformation or damage of the protection member 14 can be effectively prevented.

[0052] Furthermore, normally, the greater the angle formed by the direction of the force applied to the protective member 14 and the surface of the protective member 14, the easier it is for the protective member 14 to deform, and the closer the direction of the force is to a direction parallel to the surface of the protective member 14, the less likely it is for the protective member 14 to deform. When the mounting rod 16 is provided, the height of the front end of the protective member 14 becomes lower, thereby slowing down the inclination of the protective member 14. That is, the mounting posture of the protective member 14 is close to horizontal. As a result, even if an object 100 falling from the road collides with the protective member 14, the angle formed by the direction of the force at the time of the collision (normally parallel to the road surface) and the protective member 14 will also become smaller. As a result, even if an object 100 falling from the road collides with the protective member 14, the protective member 14 is not easily deformed.

[0053] Here, in order to prevent the fallen object 100 from rubbing against the lower side of the mounting rod 16 and colliding with the protective member 14 or the connector 18, the lower end of the mounting rod 16 may be lowered to a certain extent. However, when the lower end of the mounting rod 16 is too low, interference between the mounting rod 16 and the road surface will frequently occur. Therefore, in this example, the mounting rod 16 is set to a position and size such that its lower end is lower than the lower end of the connector 18 and higher than the lower end of the battery. By setting it to the position and size involved, it is possible to prevent the fallen object 100 from interfering with the protective member 14, and on the other hand, it is possible to suppress the interference of the mounting rod 16 with the road surface.

[0054] In addition, when a frontal collision occurs in which an obstacle hits the front surface of the vehicle, a large force (collision load) is generated toward the rear of the vehicle on the suspension member 12. When the battery 10 and the suspension member 12 are connected by the protective member 14, the collision load is transmitted to the front of the battery 10. Since the rear of the battery 10 is firmly fixed to the vehicle body or the frame, when the collision load is transmitted to the front of the battery 10, a compressive stress in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is generated on the battery 10, which is not desirable.

[0055] Therefore, in this example, a cutout portion 32 connected to the coupling hole 30 is provided behind the coupling hole 30 so that the connection between the protection member 14 and the suspension member 12 can be easily released in the event of a frontal collision. In addition, in this example, as described above, a rear inclined surface 38 with a rearward rise is also provided behind the coupling hole 30. For the functions of the cutout portion 32 and the rear inclined surface 38, refer to Fig.11 , Fig.12 to explain. Fig.11 , Fig.12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the area around the coupling hole 30, Fig.11 It shows the normal situation. Fig.12 The situation in the event of a head-on collision is shown.

[0056] Since the cutout portion 32 is connected to the rear of the coupling hole 30, Fig.12 As shown, the connecting bolt 42 can be easily moved to the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when the suspension member 12 and the mounting rod 16 fixed to the suspension member 12 move rearward due to a frontal collision, the connecting bolt 42 also moves to the rear of the vehicle and rubs against the cutout portion 32. As a result, the connection between the protector 14 and the mounting rod 16, and further the connection with the suspension member 12, is released, thereby preventing the load from being transmitted to the front of the battery 10.

[0057] Here, in this example, a rear inclined surface 38 that rises at the rear is provided behind the cutout portion 32. When the connecting bolt 42 moves rearward by rubbing against the cutout portion 32, the head of the connecting bolt 42 hits the rear inclined surface 38. The force of the collision is converted into a forward downward force through the rear inclined surface 38 that rises at the rear, thereby making it easier for the protector 14 to fall downward. Moreover, by the protector 14 falling downward, the load transmission to the battery 10 via the protector 14 can be more reliably prevented.

[0058] In order for the connecting bolt 42 to collide with the rear inclined surface 38, the upper end of the rear inclined surface 38 must be located above the lower end of the connecting bolt 42. Generally, the steeper the inclination angle of the protector 14, the lower the upper end of the rear inclined surface 38. In this example, the protector 14 is made close to horizontal by providing the mounting rod 16 between the protector 14 and the suspension member 12. Thus, the height difference between the upper end of the rear inclined surface 38 and the connecting hole 30 can be suppressed, so that the connecting bolt 42 can be more reliably collided with the rear inclined surface 38.

[0059] In addition, the description so far is an example, and as long as there is at least a protective member 14 installed between the battery 10 and the suspension member 12, other structures can be appropriately changed. For example, although in this example, the protective member 14 is provided with a cutout portion 32 or a recess 34 connected to the coupling hole 30, these structures may not be provided. In addition, the connection between the protective member 14 and the mounting rod 16 is not limited to bolt connection, and other connections such as rivet connection or welding may also be used.

[0060] In addition, the position, size, and shape of the mounting rod 16 may be appropriately changed. Therefore, for example, the mounting rod 16 may be in the shape of a square tube or other shapes. For example, the mounting rod 16 may be in the shape of a hat having approximately L-shaped legs extending upward from both ends of the plate in order to connect the plate that is long in the vehicle width direction to the rear cross portion 22. In addition, the mounting rod 16 may not be provided, and the protective member 14 may be directly connected to the suspension member 12. In addition, the shape of the protective member 14 may be appropriately changed, for example, it may be in the shape of a flat plate without the recess 26, the protrusion 28, and the recess 34, or it may be curved as a whole.

[0061] Explanation of symbols

[0062] 10: battery; 12: suspension member; 14: protective member; 16: mounting rod; 17: battery housing; 18: connector; 20: front transverse portion; 22: rear transverse portion; 24: side portion; 26: recessed portion; 28: convex portion; 30: coupling hole; 32: cutout portion; 34: recessed portion; 36: front inclined surface; 38: rear inclined surface; 40: vertical wall; 42, 48: coupling bolts; 43, 50: welding nuts; 44, 46: through holes; 100: objects dropped on the road.

Claims

1. A vehicle underfloor structure, characterized in that: have: A storage battery which is arranged under the floor of the vehicle and has one or more connectors protruding from the front end thereof; a suspension member disposed at a front portion of the vehicle relative to the battery and having a lower end located above a lower end of the battery; a protective member that covers the one or more connectors from below to protect them and is installed between the battery and the suspension member; a mounting rod which is mounted at a lower portion of the suspension member and extends in a vehicle width direction, The front portion of the protective member is mounted on the mounting rod, A rear cross portion having an arcuate shape is provided at a rear portion of the suspension member, the rear cross portion extending in the vehicle width direction and having a central portion in the vehicle width direction convex upward, The mounting rod is mounted on the rear cross portion in a manner spanning across both ends of the arcuate shape.

2. The vehicle underfloor structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the mounting rod is located below the lower ends of the one or more connectors and above the lower end of the battery.

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